If you own a Canon and use their strap. Have you ever wondered what that little rubber thingy on the end of the strap is? I did, and I don’t even use a Canon. Turns out this little rubber thingy is a cap. And not just a cap, it is used to block the view finder so there are zero light leaks and flares. It’s usefull for when you are doing extra long exposures, light shooting stars at night. Huge thanks to Bassam Sabbagh for sharing this tip with us.

With only one or two exceptions, camera straps have remained largely the same since their inception, and they’ve always had the same complaints made about them; that they put too much strain and pain on your neck and back, especially with a heavy DSLR and lens.

Now, Ponte Leather have made an interesting modification to the traditional strap design which aims to help take the weight off your neck, and shift it onto your shoulders by attaching to your backpack.

Despite having a direct impact on one’s ability to capture fleeting moments, not to mention the amount of shoulder and neck pain at the end of a long day, many photographers don’t spend the time or money upgrading the strap that came with their camera.

For some the camera strap is arguably one of the most important pieces of gear after the camera and lenses, and when you’re using two cameras it becomes twice as important.

Whether you’ve already discovered the wonderful world of ergonomic camera straps or you’re still using OEM junk, you owe it to yourself to check out Custom SLR’s Dual Strap.

I’m always looking to accessorize to compliment my beard, from the hats I wear to…well, that’s pretty much the extent of it. While this DIY project isn’t perhaps something I would personally dangle around my manly neck, I think it’s awesome and would make a great handmade gift for the female photographer in your life.

Photographer, camera bag designer, and semi-pro crocodile wrestler (she’s from Australia…we made assumptions) Emma Anderson recently posted a tutorial on repurposing an old, silk scarf into a stylish and gorgeous camera strap. (Just because I wouldn’t wear it doesn’t mean I can’t like it, right?)

I love cameras. I love leather (take that however you wish). And, while I don’t love camera straps, I kinda dig this DIY leather belt strap from green-liver and photo enthusiast Tyler Lloyd. (We assume he devised the idea one night as he was twirling his mustache by a crackling fireplace and sharpening his straight razor on a leather strop.)

The project itself is rather simple, requiring minimal tools and materials. So, let’s take a look at what eating raw vegetables will lead a man to build.

All photographers know that composition and perspective are critical ingredients in producing images that stand out from the crowd. Camera manufactures even provide us with tilt screens to enable us to shoot from just about any perspective. But wait a minute…let’s think about the role of that innocuous item of gear that you’ve attached to your camera without even giving it a second thought and will probably remain there for the entire life of that camera – the camera strap.

Yes, it was free, and yes, it may sport the model of your latest purchase, but let’s just stop and think about what else it does. Let’s imagine for a second that you had to purchase it and think about it the pro’s and con’s, about its value, function and benefits in the way you chose a lens or other item of gear…based on what you want to achieve and your personal shooting style.

Where are you storing your batteries? Here is a quick and fun idea from Instructables user hagay1974. Hagay is using two scrap pieces of 2″ wide hook and loop strap to make fold on battery case which would probably fit any strap in the world.

If there ever was a golden era of camera straps, I’d say this era is now. The amount of innovation and thought invested in this simple device is certainly reaching new peaks. Since straps are so different in the sets of features they provide, we wanted to subject them all to a uniform test. And what better test than to hook them all up to a farm tractor and see which strap lasts longer.

John Aldred is a portrait and animal photographer in Lancaster, England. you can see some of his work on his website, or find him on Facebook or Twitter.

Stefan Kohler is a conceptual photographer, specialized in mixing science, technology and photography. He is one of the founders of Kamerakind, based in Traunstein, Southern Germany. You can follow him on Facebook or on 500px.com

Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel.

When he isn't waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses.